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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 18:32:28 GMT
The new Skoda Superb looks good. Probably the last of its kind in that market as I'm sure their SUVs will outsell it 10 to 1.
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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 18:22:37 GMT
I suspect the fuel economy will improve in the spring and summer. My company covers all fuel costs hence I'm not bothered to charge it unless I'm at the office. Using the built in nav doesn't seem to make a difference so I'm not it's as clever as the one Porsche use though it must be a very similar system as I'm sure yours is also sourced through VAG.
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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 14:09:37 GMT
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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 14:07:14 GMT
Sorry for not doing an update sooner. The Octavia arrived in mid December and I've since managed just over 1200miles in it. I was on the motorway when it ticked over 1234 so couldn't quite catch it in time!
So far it's been perfectly competent. I'm still getting used to driving it as the regenerative braking is so much stronger than than Ioniq and the front assist system seems designed to slow you automatically for junctions and lower speed limits which I found rather disconcerting at first and having not worked out how to turn it off have become used to it. If I had a criticism I feel it could have better rear visibility and the lack of a parking camera doesn't help with parking (I ordered this but Skoda were not able to supply one). I've had to relearn parking by mirror which almost feels like parking blind. (Especially as the mirrors seem quite small). Unlike previous VAG cars I've driven the wing mirrors don't dip when you select reverse which is a surprising omission given Skodas 'simply clever' approach to car design. Not the end of the world of course and it's hardly as if I cannot park it but without the reassurance of the camera it just requires getting to trust the parking sensors and my instincts a bit more.
It's a very comfortable car to spend time in and as expected from an Octavia estate it is very roomy with a decent sized boot, albeit one made a bit smaller due to the battery battery pack. The other downside of that battery pack is also the reduction of the fuel tank to a mere 40 litres (I think, I've only been able to get 35 litres on a fill up but that's not on a completely empty tank). The interior looks good and the lack of HVAC controls on buttons hasn't been too big an issue as I've generally just left it set at 21°c and let it do its thing. The controls mostly feel good quality but old style VAG cruise control switch feels a bit cheap as do the buttons for the lights which have replaced the traditional wheel. I dont use either enough for this to bother me, however.
Performance wise it goes well enough given that it's a heavy car. In electric mode it's not a rocket ship but it does spin its wheels quite easily leaving junctions so I can see myself getting through front tyres quite quickly if I don't learn to modulate it a bit better. In hybrid mode it will pick up it's skirt and accelerate with a decent turn of pace, particularly between 40 and 60mph.
Economy wise it's somewhat disappointing if you particularly were expecting anywhere near the figures of regular hybrids (I have a fuel card so it's not an issue for me). Where the Ioniq did around 60mpg the Octavia does around 40 on a run. My old Golf estate (non hybrid 1.0 TSI) did around 45-50 so I thought it would at least match that. Maybe it will in time as it gets run in. I've charged it at the office a few times and it takes about 4 hours to fully charge. This has given a range varying between 29 and 35 miles. On the move this quickly drops but that might be due to the winter weather requiring lights wipers and HVAC to use a fair bit of electricity. Realistically so far I've managed just over 25 miles of driving from a full charge. Again, this will probably improve as we go into spring but use of AC in the summer will reduce this again. With the small fuel tank I'm going about 400 miles between fill ups with a bit of electric charging. Without charge it will manage about 350. The Ioniq managed 550-600 so this is a bit disappointing but not exactly the end of the world. The plus side of the PHEV system being officially rated as having a range of 42 miles is that the company car tax it attracts is about £100 less per month than the Ioniq so that's a nice bonus.
So good points and bad points. As a family workhorse it will do well I'm sure. I think it looks good and I really like the colour which I'm sure will only get better with nicer weather.
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Cardle
Jan 8, 2024 8:29:09 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 8:29:09 GMT
Gave up after 4 attempts. Got it in one but I couldn't work out how it wanted me to write it's name and I've never seen it written like that!
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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 8:26:21 GMT
Sounds like a great trip Bryan. I've never driven in Germany so can't offer much advice. If you don't have them fitted you might need to check if it's still law to have winter tyres on your car in March.
I'm sure the Yeti will take the trip in it's stride and probably use a lot less fuel than your other cars. I'm guessing your wife is also less fussed about going across in one of your classics? Maybe that needs to be done as part of a forum road trip one day instead.
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Post by Alex on Jan 8, 2024 8:20:06 GMT
Glad Jo's OK other than a bit of dented pride. It does seem shocking that it's been written off but having seen the bills insurance companies get from body shops for some of our fleet cars that's actually probably a 3 grans claim if you were to get it repaired. No wonder insurance premiums are rocketing!
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Post by Alex on Jan 7, 2024 20:48:08 GMT
Sorry I do need to take some photos and give an update. Every time I think of doing it the weather ends up being rubbish!
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Post by Alex on Jan 7, 2024 11:50:30 GMT
Just almost had a head on collision with a berk in a 4 series who was attempting to overtake a pelaton worth of cyclists on the approach to a bend on a country road. It was close enough that the Octavias front assist system went into full shit your pants mode and the guy in the car behind only just managed to avoid rear ending me. The cyclists also had to brake sharply to let him back in. A couple of them had helmet cams and given their reaction (a lot of wrist shaking was directed at the beemer!) I'd not be surprised if they sent their footage to the Police. Makes me tempted to fit the Skoda with a dashcam.
This happens so often round here when the cyclists come out in force for a Sunday ride and I just don't see how some drivers think its acceptable to lower their standard of driving to the point they risk writing off their cars and hurting people just to save a few seconds on what is probably a leisurely drive.
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Post by Alex on Jan 5, 2024 9:10:09 GMT
Yep. I’m fine understanding that not all crimes can be solved but the lack of action is just not acceptable. I agree with this. Public perception at the moment is that criminals are free to commit theft without fear of being bought to justice. Its not just cars but phones, bikes etc and of course shoplifting which has increased massively. You can blame the cost of living crisis as a driving force for the latter but I'd argue the lack of police action is also playing a massive part, especially when it comes to organised gangs who are willing to go into shops and brazenly walk out with larch amounts of high value produce.
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Cardle
Dec 29, 2023 8:35:57 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Dec 29, 2023 8:35:57 GMT
Nowhere near this morning; never heard of it. Glad I'm not the only one.
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Post by Alex on Dec 28, 2023 12:17:40 GMT
The last time I had a bulb go on my own car was on my 2010 Megane and that required a special tool to release the entire headlamp unit so I had to get Halfords to do it for me and even they found it to be a right pain. I certainly got my moneys worth out of their We Fit service!
My wife's Panda needed one a few years back but it was close enough to the MoT that I told her to tell them when they took it in and they fitted one for her before they did the test.
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Post by Alex on Dec 18, 2023 22:49:25 GMT
The looks are a bit suspect today but in the early nougties that would be a pretty mid market design and would probably have sold OK in this country given that they were still selling a fair few 45s which were a two generations previous Honda Civic.
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Post by Alex on Dec 18, 2023 8:54:46 GMT
To be fair I think they themselves are being shafted by the costs of repairing vehicles and providing hire cars so the cost is inevitably passed on to us. I don't think they are being so shafted. Have a look at their annual reports and their profits. I am not 100% convinced that something which is after all mandatory should be quite so subject to uncapped market forces. Admiral had insured my wife's Fiat 500 for the last eight years. It does barely 1,000 miles per year and is worth at best £5k, and the premium has bobbled along at around £150 for years. This year they wanted over £300. No explanation and not much regret when we removed our business. From what I heard on R4 (might have been You and Yours or Moneybox) the insurers profits come from their other products not motor insurance. The shortage of parts has led to claims being much higher in value as those parts become more expensive and those with cars that cannot be driven have use of hire cars for much longer. I agree that given how insurance is mandatory it shouldn't be only available from private corporations but the argument could be made that a lot of life's vitals, such as food and water, should not be at the mercy of private profits.
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Post by Alex on Dec 18, 2023 7:38:42 GMT
To be fair I think they themselves are being shafted by the costs of repairing vehicles and providing hire cars so the cost is inevitably passed on to us.
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 12:38:26 GMT
Disappointing but not surprising from the van driver. My wife had a rear end shunt a few years back on a dual carriageway slip road caused by a learner driver being spooked by the oncoming traffic rather than speeding up to match their speed and merging. Once they'd caused an accident behind by coming to a complete stop the instructor was pretty damn quick to get them moving and scarpering from the scene. Makes you wonder what attitude that instilled in their pupil in regards to taking responsibility for their mistakes.
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 12:33:05 GMT
I've only made my comments based on anecdotes I've seen in the press and on social media. I'm happy to be proven wrong though and if you think I'm just some tit on an Internet forum spouting unproven bilge that's fair enough. Perhaps this is one of those instances where one manufacturer gets a particularly bad reputation despite most other manufacturers vehicles suffering the same problems. Almost a bit like VW taking the rap in dieselgate despite no other manufacturer being able to produce diesels with such low emissions since or Lancia being pilloried for rusting cars despite most other cars from the same time being equally prone to rot. You hear a lot too about Mercs and BMWs being nicked in this way and there was a point a couple of years back when Fords with keyless were really prone to theft but I don't recall reports that insurance companies were refusing cover so either JLR are being treated particularly unfairly or their products are just costing insurers more. I agree too that the gangs commiting these offenses should be targeted rather than just the little scrotes doing the pilfering.
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 9:14:19 GMT
The wifes Panda had the battery go whilst she was in Tesco a year or so ago and I think the RAC only charged about £100 for a new one fitted. As the cheapest I could find from a quick Google search of local motor factors was about 80 quid we just went with it to save the hassle.
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 9:07:16 GMT
Maybe this is why active lane assist systems are legally required to be engaged on all new cars. With so much now on the screen it's no wonder cars are wandering about all over the road!
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 9:02:46 GMT
Sorry to hear about this John and I'm glad the other party have accepted liability. Sometimes in these sorts of situations if the other party argues enough they get away with it going 50/50 which then counts against you. And often insurers working in cahoots seem to go along with them!
It's exactly this situation which is why I'm very reluctant to wave people out of junctions or side roads and prefer to just let them make their own way out when there is a suitable gap. The van driver probably didn't check his right mirror or wrongly assumed the B Max was turning left and going his way rather than across to turn right. But regardless of that the B Max would have had no way of seeing your wife through the van so should have proceeded with caution rather than take the vans instruction as carte blanche to drive straight across the other lane, especially as the lights had turned green so there was a good chance that traffic that hasn't seen them would start moving.
As for the van driver I hope he was suitably contrite or did he just bugger off?
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 8:45:40 GMT
I always find it annoying if I forget to take off my coat before I get in the car. It just feels so much more restrictive and my arms aren't as free for steering as when I've just got on a jumper or t shirt. In a car with heated seats and steering wheel I don't need to wear my coat.
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Post by Alex on Dec 17, 2023 8:41:08 GMT
JLR only have themselves to blame. It’s not suprising that they haven’t done anything to help customers until it starts costing sales. They aren’t the only manufacturer with this issue but it seems to be costing them the most. You are right of course that all the premium brands have had the same issues with regards to thefts of vehicles with keyless systems but it does seem that JLR have the worst reputation for it. Probably because of the popularity of the Range Rover products in the criminal world. It also does seem that JLR have been the least willing of the brands to do something about it. Personally I don't see why modern cars need keyless. I've just moved from a car with it to one without and it's not exactly been a hardship!
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Post by Alex on Dec 15, 2023 20:23:41 GMT
Apparently a lot of insurers are turning down the opportunity to quote on Range Rovers or any other LR product. Just too many being nicked and too little being done by the manufacturer to improve security.
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Post by Alex on Dec 12, 2023 6:34:41 GMT
Those look filthy. But I'm not trusting your opinion so will have to try them myself at some point just to make sure you're being honest about how good they are.
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Post by Alex on Dec 12, 2023 6:33:47 GMT
Should do more often than I do. The work fuel card can be used for automatic car washes but I tend to use that as a last resort if I'm going to a customer site and just haven't gotten round to washing it by hand. But it does mean you risk getting those horrible hairline scratches all over it.
Like Martin I try to keep the interior clean at all times. Just a shame the kids have other ideas...
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Cardle
Dec 8, 2023 6:33:47 GMT
via mobile
Post by Alex on Dec 8, 2023 6:33:47 GMT
Well they've made up for it with an easy one today
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Post by Alex on Dec 5, 2023 7:38:56 GMT
I'm sure they are doing just fine. If anything it's the lease company that are taking a hosing because the cost to them of borrowing the money to pay Skoda has increased dramatically compared to the end of 2021 when the deal was agreed. That's another effect of high interest rates that the new car market is suffering from and is why people who change their car every few years are getting a bit of a shock when they go to change.
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Post by Alex on Dec 2, 2023 13:32:54 GMT
I would say the dash cam is more for protection when you inevitably run one over and they come at you for compensation for their idiocy. That is true but it just won't help anyone who suffers damage to their cars and sees the little scrotes bugger off down some alley or sidestreet
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Post by Alex on Dec 2, 2023 13:27:38 GMT
They've deleted the rear view camera from my order and so far as I know that is all but of course I'll find out later in the week of anything else is missing.
Interesting you talk about cancelling orders. They offered to allow free cancellation, which is not something that happens often. That was about 6 months ago but there wasn't anything else within budget or similar tax bracket that would have come closer. Closest wad a Niro PHEV but I didn't fancy that and, in any case, my two colleagues who did switch their order to one 0f those have been quoted April delivery so it would have been an even longer wait!
The delay was originally due to high demand coming right as the microchip shortage hit car manufacturers and then the war in Ukraine which is where VAG make a lot of their wiring looms caused further delays. Those issues have been largely ironed out but the order books have continued to fill and the newer orders have been sold at higher prices so have been given priority to aid their cash flow. Skoda are essentially selling me a car for £33k that in today's market should be nearer £40k so they will probably be making a loss on it.
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Post by Alex on Dec 2, 2023 8:28:26 GMT
Trouble is that it's not exactly like they'll be identifiable. They don't exactly wear number plates and there's no Police around stopping them so they'll feel perfectly safe getting away with having their fun.
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